EDITORS NOTE:
This is a message I sent to my sister prior to the election of President Trump. She had sent me a long email extolling his virtues and how he was chosen by God to transform society, etc. etc. It was an obvious “handout” from the pastor of her church, and it was far beyond any political thoughts that I had ever known her to express or care about.
I must admit, it really pissed me off, because she texted it as if it was something SHE had come up with. So, I decided to do something I rarely do to my loved ones: pin their ears back with a double barrel blast of logic and historical perspective. Which I DID come up with.
It made me feel better.
But, if she voted at all, I’m pretty sure she voted for Trump. Sigh….
The Message To Sis
I got your text.
I’m assuming that this means you’re going to vote for Trump.
There is 1 major flaw in your logic and it does have to do with “righteousness.” Whatever the issues or positions he claims to stand for, he has at some point in his career been on the OTHER side of the same issue. If you put your hopes for the future in the hands of this man, I can’t understand how you consider this a righteous choice. His disdain for almost everybody that isn’t just like him is blatantly, continuously displayed. Exaggeration isn’t even necessary. His own words are damning enough.
The election for me boils down to ONE thing, and that is the character of Donald Trump. He has the worst possible combination of amorality, elitism and ego that would make a mockery of the Presidency. He uses LIES as a campaign strategy, and I don’t doubt that he would continue the practice as President. He USED TO BE pro-choice.
He’s just using the issue as campaign strategy.
He also has expressed, a pretty liberal view of gay marriage.
He has already promised to wreck everything our country stands for in many ways both foreign and domestic, and due to his naivety regarding world politics and government, his election would wreck it in ways that he fails to foresee. Trump will throw anybody under the bus to get what he wants.
The issues that you hold so dear – abortion, Israel, marriage – these are issues that go far beyond any President or any judge’s power. These are issues that are evolving as the human social order evolves. Our understanding of these issues is what’s changing. In the past, it was assumed that if you made a law against something, then that was the end of it. Make a law against murder, and people stop murdering. Make a law against stealing and people stop stealing. Well it’s obvious that doesn’t work. Changes in attitudes, and even in the common interpretation of good and evil or right and wrong – these change over time. Bathing used to be thought of as a sin. Doing ANYTHING on the Sabbath was a grave sin. Talking back to your husband, divorce, etc, etc.
Making a law against abortion is no different. Making abortions illegal will not stop them from happening –it’s unlikely that it would even reduce the number of abortions performed. There will be abortions, no matter what the law says. But, they will be much more brutal, dangerous and cruel, often ending the mother’s life as well as the baby’s. And what about a mother who hates her unborn child so much that she wants to kill it? What kind of life can there be for this child? What kind of person is produced by living in the belly of a person who wants to murder you for nine months? That’s the horror I see in making abortions illegal. Doesn’t a fetus that is killed in the womb go directly to heaven? This seems to be far more humane than legally binding a child to a person wants nothing more than to END you. Personally, I hate the idea of abortion. I HAVE succeeded in my life in convincing 3 women of a better choices than abortion. I failed on one. But, in the end, it’s not my choice. And I don’t believe it should be the government’s choice either. There are many other medical procedures that I am just as opposed to (and I would imagine, you are too) such as breast implants, frontal lobotomy, penile enlargement, but they’re legal, and available under various health plans.
On gay marriage:
There have always been “homosexuals.” What is becoming more obvious as we actually study human sexuality unbound by religious guilt and shame, is that sexuality is not a “black and white” thing. It’s a gradual range between being all male or all female. There are infinite differences along the scale just like pretty much every other thing in nature. What has caused all the horror about homosexuality down through the years is that this gradient was ignored, so people who exhibited the slightest bit of doubt about their sexuality were ashamed, demonized and persecuted, and thus, the “subculture” of homosexuality was created. This has led to the depths of depravity. Shame and persecution twist things, more so when the threat of damnation is applied. Now, the world is emerging from this darkness and into a gradual acceptance of all the things God creates, and the humility to see that all the creatures he makes, even those we don’t like, are equally deserving of love, and of being loved.
I’m not going to talk about Israel because Clinton is obviously a better choice as Trump on this issue.
I don’t vote for individuals based on issues. I vote based on Character. And Hillary wins this contest hands down. Nobody’s perfect,but her actual record of public service (not the bald face lies the RNC weaves to tear her down) is extensive, and it’s a testament to her love for humanity and this country, and a true commitment to making life better for people of all races, sexes, religions, parties….
So here’s my bottom line. If I actually BELIEVED that Trump would do ANYTHING he promises to do to improve the economy, protect our country, etc., I’d vote for him. Change is good, and there is a lot of corruption that needs fixing. But I just don’t believe a word he says. He’ll say or do anything to win. In this case, the prize is the White House.
Donald Trump has no integrity, no record of public service. There is no actual real world evidence that he cares about anybody except for Donald Trump.